Race riots in Northern Ireland, 5,000 Bangladeshis stranded

A stabbing in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, has sparked widespread violence and anti-immigrant protests, with around 5,000 Bangladeshis under house arrest in the city. The home of a Bangladeshi family was extensively vandalised and police were called in to give them one minute to leave.

The incident began on Monday, June 8, when a Sudanese immigrant attacked and seriously injured Stephen Ogilvie, a white Belfast resident, with a knife. The incident eventually escalated into a racial slur. 

Riots broke out across Belfast on Tuesday evening local time. Initially, streets, shops, cars and buses were set on fire, but towards night, the violence targeted the homes of migrants. On the first night, 13 residents were evicted and their homes were set on fire. During this time, 25/30 masked men attacked the home of a Bangladeshi family. 

The owner of the house, Abdul Alim, said that their house was first attacked and extensively vandalized at around 9 pm. When the police were called, they arrived 30 to 40 minutes later and within a minute, they were taken out of the house and placed in a flat in another area. There are eight members of three families in the two-bedroom flat. 

He said, "The situation is terrible all around. We, about five thousand Bangladeshis, are in a state of siege. It seems like we are surrounded from all sides."

Police said a Sudanese national has been charged with the attempted murder of local resident Stephen Ogilvie, who was seriously injured in the attack and lost an eye.

After the video of the incident quickly spread on social media, hundreds of protesters took to the streets. The protests later turned violent. Cars, buses and houses were set on fire in various areas, and there were allegations of attacks targeting migrant families. Riot police and water cannons were deployed to control the situation.

Analysts say the violence is not just about stabbings. In recent years, rising immigration, economic pressures, social unrest and the spread of inflammatory information on social media have fuelled the situation. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has urged calm, saying that a crime should not be blamed on a particular ethnic group or immigrant community.